


Day 4 - AU (2/5)

by Sang_argente



Series: sambenny love week 2017 [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Benny Lafitte, Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Big Brother Dean, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Omega Sam Winchester, Sick Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 07:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10612323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sang_argente/pseuds/Sang_argente
Summary: After Dean returns from Purgatory, the first thing he does is look for his brother. Well, actually, the first thing he does is drop off his new friend's soul. Then he goes to look for Sam.





	

After Dean returns from Purgatory, the first thing he does is look for his brother. Well, actually, the first thing he does is drop off his new friend's soul. Then he goes to look for Sam.

None of the numbers Dean calls are still active and his contacts haven't seen Sam since before Dick exploded. The thought of his brother missing brings the alpha red out in his eyes which is completely unhelpful so he decides to calm down and start from the beginning.

He follows Sam's tracks from the lab, meeting Kevin at the bunker and letting him walk him through the handful of half-assed hunts Sam did before he disappeared. Kevin has been searching for Sam the whole time.

“He didn't look good,” Kevin admits reluctantly. He doesn't look so good himself, but at least he's safe. He reminds himself that that's because of Sam and whenever he hits a dead end in the search he holds onto that. 

“What do you mean didn't look good?” Dean asks sharply.

Kevin shrugs, but his worry is plain on his face. “He was tired, like, exhausted. You disappeared and it was like all the life just drained out of him. He researched constantly and took up a few hunts. The last one he nearly died. I told him to take it easy and he promised he would. He was gone the next morning.”

And that breaks Dean. He knows they don't do well without each other but he's just starting to realize how much Ruby really kept Sam together the last time he was gone. Yeah, she was a manipulative bitch who got Sam hooked on demon blood to raise Lucifer but at least she kept him alive. At least Dean knew where his brother was when he got topside, because he looked for Sam Winchester and Sam Winchester was still there to be found. Now he might not be.

That sparks an idea, though, and he jumps on a computer and starts looking for Sam that way. He can't get very far and Kevin isn't much better, his skills lying elsewhere, so he calls Charlie.

“I need you to find Sam,” Dean says as soon as she picks up. To her credit, she doesn't even question it.

“On it,” Charlie says and hangs up.

Dean's restless, waiting for her call, so he goes down to the shooting range and unloads on targets until there's nothing left but confetti. Kevin stays out of his way except to bring him beer, all the while with the same indulgent yet disappointed look Sam gives him after the third one.

Charlie doesn't call, but she does text him an address at midnight. It's almost twelve hours away, in Texas. Before he can even think to ask why Sam is there, Charlie sends another text. All this one says is Stay calm. Instead of answering, he jumps in his baby and goes.

He makes it in a little over ten hours. He's tired and hungry and smells a little because he hasn't showered since he got out of Purgatory so he snags a room at the closest motel and takes care of business before heading to the address Charlie sent.

“Welcome to the Serenity Rehabilitation Center for Omegas,” A tired but cheerful looking receptionist says when he walks in. “How may I help you?”

Dean doesn't know which part shocks him more, the rehabilitation part or the omega part. As far as he knows, Sam is a beta, but late in life presenting does happen. He shoves the confusion down and asks for his brother.

“Room 423,” She says, but then a little frown appears. “You should probably talk to his doctor first.”

So Dean takes the elevator up to the fourth floor and stops at the nurse's station to ask for a Dr. Amelia Richardson and settles in to wait. Thankfully, she comes around the corner rather quickly.

“Dean Winchester?”

“Yes,” Dean replies and takes a long look at her. She's tall with curly hair and laugh lines but Dean can see the sadness in her eyes. He can also tell she's a no-nonsense, shoot from the hip kind of doctor. He appreciates that, he doesn't have time for sugarcoating. “What's wrong with my brother?”

“Sam came to us almost eight months ago in a severe depression and was quickly diagnosed with DBBS, Debilitating Broken Bond Syndrome,” She explains. “It's more common in omegas who lose their mates young, but Sam explained that he had been substituting his broken mate bond with a sibling bond. While not totally healthy, it is one of our first defenses against DBBS. It wasn't until you went missing that that was lost to him as well.”

Dean is barely able to keep up. Sam had mated? And lost his mate? And was using Dean as a substitute? But Dr. Richardson kept going.

“Sam had already lost his appetite and energy levels. We set him up with a specific meal plan and a physical therapist, but it didn't help. He became catatonic nearly three months ago. After a week we set him up with a feeding tube and a catheter. We rotate him once a day to avoid bedsores and bathe him every three days.”

“Catatonic?” Dean repeats. “Like a coma?”

“No,” Dr. Richardson denies, shaking her head. “For all intents and purposes, Sam is awake. He is just immobile and does not respond to any external stimuli.”

“Can I see him?”

“Of course.”

Dr. Richardson leads him to Sam's room and leaves him at the door to go in at his own pace. When Dean finally manages to open the door, he's shocked at what he sees, despite the doctor's explanation. His little brother, his Sammy, is laying in a hospital bed with a tube leading into his nose, staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Sammy,” Dean chokes out sadly. He moves to Sam's side, sitting in the chair next to his bed. It's surprisingly comfortable, which is good because Dean plans on sitting here until his baby brother recognizes him and wakes up. He doesn't care that that means Sam is substituting him for a lost mate. Dean would mate him himself if Sam was able, anything to ease his baby brother's suffering. Plus it's not like he ever planned on searching out a real mate. Instead, he'll just sit here and hope for Sam to wake up.

It's been three days, three days of sitting and watching and hoping, when his phone rings. He knows it's not Kevin or Charlie because he promised to call them when anything changed. He looks at the unfamiliar number for a minute before answering.

“‘Lo?” He grunts, watching to see if Sam reacts. Of course he doesn't.

“Hey, brother,” Benny says warmly. “It's been a week, figured I'd check in and see how you were settling in.”

Despite the situation, Dean laughs. “How did you get a phone?”

“Would you believe they sell these things in convenience stores now? A lot's changed in 12 years.”

“Tell me about it,” Dean says, looking at Sam sadly.

“Hey,” Benny says, concerned. “What's going on?”

“It's Sammy,” Dean says. “I got out and he wasn't hunting or settled down or even on the brink of another apocalypse. He wasn't anywhere. Then, when I do track him down, I find him in an omega rehabilitation center.”

Benny makes a confused noise. “I thought you said Sam was a beta.”

“I thought he was. Apparently he presented and mated when he was at Stanford.”

“Wait,” Benny says, voice blank. “Stanford University?”

“Yeah?” Dean questions. “I told you, I picked him up there in 2005 to look for our dad.”

“So your omega brother, Sam, would have been at Stanford in 2001,” Benny says slowly, putting the pieces together and coming up with a heartbreaking picture.

“Yes. Benny, what is going on?” Dean asks impatiently. He doesn't know if he can take any more of this.

“Text me the address. I'll tell you when I get there,” Benny says before hanging up.

Dean looks at his phone and sighs, shrugging. He sets it down in favor of Sam's hand, patting it comfortingly.

“Looks like we're having a visitor, Sammy. Don't worry, I think you'll like him.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was written for [saintedsam](http://saintedsam.tumblr.com) for sambenny love week on tumblr. see more of my love week contributions [here.](http://delicatesammy.tumblr.com)


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